Super-size?!
A friend passed on an interesting story from McClatchy News today. U.S. officials told the news agency Wednesday, “The U.S. is embarking on a $1 billion crash program to expand its diplomatic presence in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, another sign that the Obama administration is making a costly, long-term commitment to war-torn South Asia.” The Obama administration has reportedly asked Congress for $736 million to build a new U.S. embassy in Islamabad, “along with permanent housing for U.S. government civilians and new office space in the Pakistani capital.”
Larger facilities are needed to support and protect the “surge” of civilian officials into both Pakistan and Afghanistan, say sources. McClatchy cited State Department documents, “the plan calls for the rapid construction of a $111 million new office annex to accommodate 330 workers; $197 million to build 156 permanent and 80 temporary housing units; and a $405 million replacement of the main embassy building. The existing embassy, in the capital’s leafy diplomatic enclave, was badly damaged in a 1979 assault by Pakistani students.”
The project is said to rival the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which opened in January 2009 after construction delays costing the government $740 million. Nicknamed Fortress America, the embassy occupies 104 acres of land. According to Foreign Policy, Baghdad’s embassy “is six times larger than the U.N. complex in New York and more than 10 times the size of the new U.S. Embassy being built in Beijing, which at 10 acres is America’s second-largest mission.”
A few thoughts on this development – First, given that expats in Pakistan [and most countries for that matter] are relatively insulated from the rest of society, especially with security precautions, won’t a self-efficient embassy exacerbate that matter further? Can U.S. officials working in Pakistan truly understand the nuances of the country if they never have to leave the compound?
Secondly, although McClatchy reported that it seems likely the administration will receive funding for this embassy [which will also include projects in Lahore, Peshawar, and Kabul], Congress hasn’t even approved funding for the Kerry-Lugar bill for further aid to Pakistan. While I know the safety of U.S. citizens is a different matter entirely, I still wonder how realistic it will be to fund this project.
Finally, with anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan still high, such a project will undoubtedly face backlash, and those ramifications may arguably outweigh the benefits of building a safer complex in the first place. McClatchy quoted the Jamaat-e-Islami‘s Khurshid Ahmed, who stated, “This is a replay of Baghdad…This [Islamabad embassy] is more [space] than they should need. It’s for the micro and macro management of Pakistan, and using Pakistan for pushing the American agenda in Central Asia.”
What are your thoughts?
Wow, its almost like they want to build a building to run the place.
The idea sounds woeful. They’ll be holed up with their own Pizza Hut and McDonalds, not encountering locals except the ones they choose to meet, not learning the language and not having their world view challenged on a daily basis. They will live within in the diplomatic equivalent of a beach resort, isolated from everything else around it. It will be one massive ivory tower, attracting derision from outsiders and violence from the less polite.
It’s very much like the IZ in Baghdad now. And, as the security situation worsens, even those that want to get out there, are restricted.
It’s not like foreigners are being shot on sight though, surely? We’re not quite at Iraq circa 2004.
Well not in Islamabad. But in Peshawar, there were a bunch of kidnapping incidents (Solecki from the UN and an Iranian diplomat).
good catch– i read this today in the christian science monitor. from what i’ve heard, consulate personnel in karachi are wary of going “out there” beyond the compound walls. i think this siege mentality is highly offensive to the locals and encourages “us” versus “them” orientalist thinking.
i remember going to karachi, and seeing an american woman pull up to aghas supermarket in a giant black SUV with a driver, scurry in to pick up some groceries, and scurry back. didn’t even bother parking the car– it sat right out front. i was annoyed. aghas is such a prestigious place– what you can’t park the car and go shopping like everyone else?!
While I agree, I also do see how this “siege mentality” is cyclical and self-enforcing. To be frank, a lot of security restrictions on diplomats are put there because of the situation and violence – while some ppl I know just ignore it, others follow it, and hence don’t go to any of the hot spots that are said to be dangerous for foreigners. However, the more they don’t go out into the cities, the less they may be able to understand the ground realities – they might as well be back in Washington reading wires than sitting in a fortress. And misconceptions on either side are fueled by this increasingly polarized thinking.
I’d like to note too that not all expats who come to Pakistan are like that – in fact, I know ppl that truly make an effort to reach out and get to know the society they live in. You can’t blame the U.S. for wanting more security for their personnel, but the ramifications of that increased security need to be discussed.
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Fahd,
I don’t think you can blame people for being a bit scared…Granted the security situation is hyped and more dramtized in the media than it is in reality, but the reality is, there is hightened danger for a westerner out in public. It’s easy for us to ciriticize that as orientalist, but we know better.
Plus American civilian personel in Pakistan are under official travel restrictions–while many of them would love to get out and about, they are under DOS orders to remain confined to certain locations and procedures.
This is sounding increasingly like Baghdad. The next thing you know corporations are going to be sending their consultants out there to do work, pay them exorbitants rates and make a fortune off of USG projects. Of course, we can try and be understanding of westerners coming to Pakistan but this is definitely enforcing the ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ stereotype.
Right, like you don’t work for a firm that sends its “consultants” abroad to do projects
…aren’t you one of them?
Do you really think it would make any difference if they were living in a regular house in E7 or any other sector instead of the new compound?
You think they’d be mingling with the common man and picking up local nuances if they did that? Or would they still be shopping at Kohsar and brunching at Khaas? How does going to the local hotspots make any difference to their understanding of the security situation or the lifestyle led by the masses?
I’m glad they’re expanding their presence. I’d prefer to see a long term commitment vs. a quick exit like the one after the Soviet withdrawal.
Also, about the Agha’s comment…I know plenty of LOCAL aunties who do the exact same thing…why just blame foreigners that are working in our country?
And what makes Agha’s so PRESTIGIOUS? It’s just a department store selling imported products.
a couple of points in response.
first, contrast the behavior of the americans with that of the british. although anecdotal, i run across brits all the time in karachi. i went to a music shop, and a british guy in a suit, walking around, totally unfazed. nobody bothering him. i see them driving around (themselves), or otherwise doing shopping. a lot more brave than the americans there. they might not be going into the poor areas, but at least they get out!! i think that gives them much greater perspective.
one of my friends visited pakistan, and went to the american consulate. they warned her not to go out at all, because its dangerous “there.” they think that these hordes of easterners will cut them into little pieces– give me a break. do you really think karachi is so dangerous that you can’t even go for coffee???
i don’t quite understand YI’s attack on my notion of aghas being prestigious. i didn’t invent the characterization. typically, places that are more expensive than others are considered prestigious.
finally, at aghas, everyone else, aunties included, parked their cars, did their groceries normally, and went out. the american expat was the only one who felt that she had the right to park her car out front for an extended period of time. doesn’t exactly help her blend in.
I don’t blame them. Any goras that I see on the streets are young and most of them belong to some media group or such. The bombing in Islamabad, Daniel Pearl and the other gora in Baluchistan…I think I would use caution as well. It shows that USG cares for its people which is more than what I can say for some Pakistanis that went to US and had problems but nothing was done to help them. Maybe we can learn about loyalty and responsibility from this.
I think that’s a pretty solid point actually. Thanks KP.
I would agree with KP on that point…the consulate point but I have to say…Daniel Pearl really did put himself out there…
You don’t end up hithchiking with someone when you know the animosity created by Jews in a Muslim land…
And not to say that I didn’t have to watch my back in SE Washington DC. I really did. It freaked me out. So wherever you are, you just have to have a lookout and play it safe.
That’s the best way to make sure that you’re in one piece and alive.
Yeah, well if the Americans dragged you off and chopped off your head, made a video and then posted it as a lesson, I think Pakistanis will be crying murder and securing some heavy security for their nationals in the US. It makes no difference about the religion of DP, he was a human being and Muslims DO NOT treat others that way, read it up in the Quran. The Holy Prophet, Peace be upon him, treated his enemies with a lot more respect. DP was an Ahle Kitab, if that means anything to you.
Honestly, whether or not they go out to buy pirated dvds is the least of our concerns.
KP raises a really good point. Remember Afia Siddiqui?
Honestly– this is going to further alienate the people that the US, and frankly the Pakistani army, need to have on their side at this moment. Dr. Khurshid Ahmed is super highly educated and very moderate Muslim scholars (the guys a good lawyer and an Islamic finance expert)– we need people like him to want to support a better Pakistan-US relationship. How can they support it if they don’t believe in one sides intentions?
The strange relationship between the two country’s has gotten to such an oddball point that even if the embassy was going through routine construction, people in Pakistan would think there was an ulterior motive.
On the foreigners going out in Pakistan point– to be very honest, I think the upper-class of Pakistan is more afraid to go out then foreigners. There are more foreigners roaming around the streets of Isloo than in a long time (its rivaling pre-Sept. 2001 status– if not before that too!).
To some my rambling up– I think the timing of this announcement is off. The army needs all the support it can get, as the war is pretty intense at this point. Public support is firmly with the army (thank God!!!!) but an announcement like this will surely fuel the “Pakistani army and government are US lackey’s” crowd.
interesting, wonder how civilian are these increasing number of civilian embassy staff. In Karachi the U.S embassy was given prime KPT land worth at least 4-5 billion for a paltry 1.1 billion rs.. didn’t see any backlashes on mai kolachi road about that?
Perhaps now that the U.S embassy is extending its facilities so much they can at least afford to put a baby changing station in front of its facility in the enclave in Isloo for poor visa seekers who do not even have a place to sit outside.
Re: presence in the community. This isn’t such a straightforward ‘they should be getting out more’ issue. As rusnam said above, many western diplomats – especially the Americans – are under incredibly strict travel restrictions and aren’t even allowed to visit the markets, let alone park their cars there! While I’m not denying that this creates a western bubble and breeds paranoia, many diplomats are frustrated at the restrictions placed on them – after all, the majority of diplomats join the Foreign Service/FCO to work abroad and are usually enthusiastic about soaking up local culture. Also, it doesn’t help that tours for American dips in Pakistan these days are just one year long (used to be 2-4) and that you can’t bring your spouse/family. The short length of time combined with the travel restrictions, isolation, and constant stream of security threat memos results in long working days and not much else, making it difficult for FSOs to learn anything about the country other than what’s printed in the CIA Factbook.
Now, expanding the embassy in Isloo? Bad idea, and I agree with Fahad – this will only be viewed negatively by Pakistanis and future cement the image of the US as ‘colonisers’.
Jesse,
I agree. The issue isn’t black-and-white, and I completely get that the U.S. have to be overly cautious with their personnel, as KP mentioned above, it’s a good thing. There are certainly drawbacks to the approach, but I would be more worried if there was a backlash than anything else. It’s cyclical, if there is backlash, there is greater need for security, etc.
In response to Yawar’s point, no I am not a consultant who skims money off of USG projects. I am talking about the big players, for profit development firms, who I do not think I am able to name at this point. For a simple “agriculture” or “livelihoods” project they send out a US consultant with an absurd amount of danger pay to gather information that many young educated Pakistanis could do themselves…if these companies were actually in touch with/aware of the capabilities of the local population that they claim they are trying to help.
This doesn’t sound very good. The LAST thing we need right now is for America to come to Islamabad and mark their territory. And that’s really what they’re doing, establishing a presence so they no longer need to control things remotely. I’m beginning to wonder what the difference is between American presence and the British Raj. I mean, hypothetically we have our own government, but in reality aren’t we just American property?
Then I would suggest that we abstain from taking any AID from the US. Pakistanis culture and breeding is of hospitality but reading this post and several others makes me think otherwise. As a Pakistani I welcome everyone to my country and if the visitors need to feel secure and spend money for security, that is a shameful point with me because that is NOT how Pakistanis are. As far as the difference between the Raj and American presence…seems to be pretty obvious, don’t you think. The Raj made us less than humans, the Americans are only trying to maintain security for their staff. I live in Islamabad and I certainly do not see the American flag fly anywhere but on their Embassy and staff houses, so how did Pakistan become their property. No wonder we Pakistanis are viewed critically by the Americans, hell, we can’t even be civil to their basic needs.
KP, first of all, I would hope that you are are not speculating on my breeding of hospitality based on 5 lines I may have written as a comment. Second, either you are very young or seem to be oblivious of our history with America. America is no better than the British Raj. In fact they are probably worse, given that the British never made any pretense about exploiting us. The Americans are not simply maintaining security, they are 1) establishing their presence in the area, much akin to what they did in Palestine/Israel after the 1st Gulf War and 2) they are (or should be) cleaning up the mess have contributed greatly to with the Taliban. The Americans may be sticking their American flag solely on their own embassy but that doesn’t mean their policies haven’t infiltrated every home in our country. Yes, visitors need to feel secure in our country, but is this the way to garner public support? By acting like the big man on campus?
Now before you make any more judgments about my intentions, I’d like to point out that I have nothing against America. I am a proud Pakistani American and I welcome visitors and hope they will soon feel safe in our country again. I have spent my entire life as an expat in foreign countries, I’m well aware of security issues. What bugs me is that the Americans have a sense of entitlement which allows them to do whatever the hell they want wherever the hell they want.
You speak of us taking aid but not wanting Americans in our country. Are you aware that for American’s war on terror Pakistan has spent almost 3 times the amount of aid we are receiving from the U.S.? So, are we meant to be grateful for this aid? I think not. Furthermore, rather than investing money into basic infrastructure, majority of our so-called “aid” (rather blood money) is flowing into the pockets of our incompetent president and his sycophants.
I am not praising the Brits, nor demonizing the Americans, but I’m entitled to be a bit wary. The Americans have a poor track record when it comes to establishing a presence in a country and the world seeing it go to shit. Sorry, if I’m not so enthusiastic about this expansion, it is only the beginning to constant foreign interference.
I am aware of the US Pakistan History and what it has brought about. As for my comment re breeding, it was not directed towards you but towards everyone who wants to point fingers at others rather than looking at our own selves. The war on terror in my opinion is nothing but a myth made up by our own ISI and the military for the sake of filling up their own pockets. I’ve lived in Pakistan all my life and I have never seen things go so bad until our own government decided to turn their backs on those whom they were supposed to be protecting. I saw what happened at the Red Mosque and the lies that were spread about by my own government all for the sake of AID. So, please lets understand our own selves first. We need to clean our own house before we start pointing fingers at others. As a Pakistani I stick up for my country any day but also give respect to others. However, when my own country is at fault, I don’t point fingers at others, I look to answers within. Loyalty is a big word and as a dual citizen I’m sure you have a hard time with it.
hahaha my loyalty is being brought into question because i’m a dual citizen? you fight like a child – you have nothing better to say so resort to insults, which aren’t going to get people to listen to you and agree with your points.
you amuse me.
Have a great weekend.Nice post.
you too! Thanks for visiting!
Wow there is a lot of hostility against Americans here, a couple of points:
1) Did anyone consider the fact that this is foreign money flowing to the country and not to get into formulas but that is a good thing.
2) Everyone praising the brits, do I have to remind you that’s how our forefathers got into trouble the first time.
3) As a consultant I know how much we bill for, If you have a reputable consulting company coming and doing work for you, add the lack of security premium and you will get a nice looking invoice, it’s standard practice.
4) I haven’t done much research on the new embassy, but one reason for building a high security building might be that the US does not negotiate with terrorist.
PS: Sorry for the rambling and bad typing I am doing this from a phone.
Thank you Hassan, your points make excellent sense. Does anyone remember the attack on the US Embassy in Islamabad years ago, or am I thinking of something else. KP
Apparently, these are photos of the US embassy in Karachi as construction progresses:
http://karachi.metblogs.com/2009/06/04/the-new-us-consulate-in-karachi/
What I dont understand is the justification for the US to have an almost a billion dollar embassy to be built in Pakistan. They are definitely not there to issue visas as we all know that they perhaps give out two visas in a whole month
(pun intended).
Though I am a US citizen of a Pakistani descent its very unsetteling to see Pakistan becoming a US colony after winning independence from one 60 years ago. No country claiming to be independent should be micro managed from someone half a world away.
I think the people and leadership in particular of pakistan is so inept to work and make decisions in the interest of the country thus creating such a void that soemone has to fill, and that someone I am afraid could be anybody and that may or may not be in the best interest of Pakistan.
This scares me, they are expanding their presence in Pakistan. and they are going to mess even big time now. where ever American have stepped in that place has not come in to peace ever, we have many examples to look at. May Allah save Pakistan.
About expanding presence. This seems to me the same as muslim first, second and third generation immigrants that refuse to integrate themselves and instead marries away their daughters to men in muslim countries, like Pakistan, and brings them back to their new western country. Then that generation too will have shame, forced marriage, discrimination and strong religious culture. There is one place in England that they say is more muslim then the Pakistan capital. But I agree America and many “western” contries have done bad things to middle-east and african land. Like CIA training and then pissing off Bin Laden, and today when western oil companies exploit the lawlessness of the area between Congo and Uganda and harvest their rich resources. If this “Allah” of yours is real I think he should save all the children being abused, killed in war and die of famin around the world first. If not, he isn’t worth worshipping.